1. Writing Strong Paragraphs

2. The first sentence of your paragraph is called the ASSERTION
The first sentence of your paragraph is called the ASSERTION. ASSERTION=TOPIC SENTENCE This sentence introduces the MAIN IDEA for the entire paragraph

3. Assertion It also answers the question asked in the prompt.
This is YOUR viewpoint in regards to the prompt.
Make sure you avoid first person: “I think” or “I believe”

4. Now, let’s practice!

5. Example
Look at the first sentence in the story. Symbolically, what’s interesting about Hughes’ description of Mrs. Jones’ purse?
Write an assertion for this prompt
***Remember: Make sure you are responding to the prompt entirely. Avoid first person***

6. Example: In “Thank You Ma’am,” Mrs
Example: In “Thank You Ma’am,” Mrs. Jones’ purse is interesting because it shows she’s a woman who has everything that’s needed in life, including compassion for Roger and generosity.

7. After you make an assertion… you EXPLAIN your assertion.
This means providing CONTEXT.
CONTEXT is:
lead-in/background information.
EXPLANATION of the topic you are discussing that will lead into your EVIDENCE!

8. EXAMPLE: In “Thank You Ma’am,” Mrs
EXAMPLE: In “Thank You Ma’am,” Mrs. Jones’ purse is interesting because it shows she’s a woman who has everything that’s needed in life, including compassion for Roger and generosity. Instead of punishing Roger for trying to steal her purse, she instead brings him to her house, gives him a meal, and sends him off with some money.

9. NEXT… include Without evidence, how can you prove your point
NEXT… include Without evidence, how can you prove your point? This is the part where you, the author, show the reader/prove to the reader what you are saying is true. You need to include a direct quote to support your idea.

10. Some things to remember when it comes to EVIDENCE:
Make sure the evidence you are including SUPPORTS your assertion/ topic sentence.
Make sure it is EMBEDDED (integrated smoothly) into the text of the paper. Readers should be able to move from your words to your evidence without feeling a disruption in sentence fluency.
Don’t forget to PROPERLY CITE your evidence
Example: According to Foulkes’s study, dreams may express, “profound aspects of personality” (184).

11. EXAMPLE: In “Thank You Ma’am,” Mrs
EXAMPLE: In “Thank You Ma’am,” Mrs. Jones’ purse is interesting because it shows she’s a woman who has everything that’s needed in life, including compassion for Roger and generosity. Instead of punishing Roger for trying to steal her purse, she instead brings him to her house, gives him a meal, and sends him off with some money. Her purse is described as having “everything in it but hammer and nails” (1).

12. After your EVIDENCE Unpack your evidence by providing COMMENTARY What is commentary you ask?

13. COMMENTARY IS…
Your COMMENT, RESPONSE, or EXPLANATION of how the evidence proves the assertion.
Makes the connection between evidence and the assertion. Use your OWN words. (This is the most important part of the paragraph. It demonstrates YOUR critical thinking!)

14. YOU SHOULD HAVE TWO SENTENCES OF COMMENTARY
YOU SHOULD HAVE TWO SENTENCES OF COMMENTARY. No matter how good your evidence is, it won’t help your argument much if your reader doesn’t know why it’s important. Ask yourself: how does this evidence prove the point you are trying to make in this paragraph and/or your paper as a whole? Provide a CLEAR explanation of the quote and how/why it supports your assertion. DO NOT SIMPLY RESTATE THE QUOTE IN YOUR OWN WORDS!

15. EXAMPLE: In “Thank You Ma’am,” Mrs
EXAMPLE: In “Thank You Ma’am,” Mrs. Jones’ purse is interesting because it shows she’s a woman who has everything that’s needed in life, including compassion for Roger and generosity. Instead of punishing Roger for trying to steal her purse, she instead brings him to her house, gives him a meal, and sends him off with some money. Her purse is described as having “everything in it but hammer and nails” (1). Mrs. Jones doesn’t need a hammer to drive home her point to Roger; compassion and grace will get the job done. She has everything she needs to help build this young man into a stronger, more-moral version of himself.

16. Let’s Recap Insert an ASSERTION/Topic Sentence
Provide CONTEXT for your assertion
Introduce and insert your QUOTE/ Evidence
Provide COMMENTARY for your evidence
More COMMENTARY to support your assertion.